The state’s social services agency was granted a court order to block an abortion for a pregnant 13-year-old girl living in a state shelter, prompting an emergency appeal Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union.

So, a 13-year-old isn’t old enough to make a decision about legally ending a pregnancy, but she’s old enough to go through pregnancy and childbirth?

This case reminds me of a play called Keely and Du by Jane Martin. The premise of the play was that a young woman, Keely, is kidnapped on her way to an abortion clinic. Her kidnappers are members of a fundamentalist group who plan to hold her handcuffed to a bed until she cannot legally get an abortion. The play centers around the relationship between the Keely and her caregiver, Du. It was a very powerful play, to say the least.

Of course, in the case of the 13-year-old, the fundamentalist group is DCF, and they aren’t handcuffing her to a bed. No, they’re using the legal system. DCF should be ashamed.